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Monday, August 15, 2011

Update: 8-15-2011 : What The Oslo, Norway Attacks Could Mean For Europe

UPDATE: 8-15-2011

Norway Massacre: Anders Breivik Reenacts Shooting For Police

Under heavy police guard Anders Behring Breivik returns to Utoya island to reconstruct his killing of 69 people at a youth camp, Aug. 13, 2011. Breivik, in the red T-shirt, was restrained with a harness tied to a rope. (Trond Solberg/VG/ Scanpix/Zuma Press)

By MARK SCHONEAug. 15, 2011

New video shows Anders Behring Breivik, who has confessed to killing nearly 70 teen campers on an island near Oslo, reenacting the mass shooting for Norwegian police.

Breivik returned to the crime scene on the bucolic island of Utoya over the weekend and retraced his steps while restrained by a leash attached to a body harness and wearing a bulletproof vest. During an eight-hour tour, a dozen police officers followed him as he disembarked from a ferry and then walked the same route he took on July 22, the day of the shooting.

Breivik can be seen in the video raising his arms to show police how he fired at the campers as they tried to escape, shooting some of them in the water as they tried to swim to the mainland. Sixty-nine people died in the Utoya shooting, with another eight killed by a bombing in Oslo earlier the same day.

Prosecutor Paal-Fredrik Hjort Kraby said Breivik was allowed to walk and talk with little interruption in order to jog his memory and yield as much information as possible.

"We were able to [jog] his memory with regard to what happened out there," said the prosecutor. He also said Breivik "was not unmoved" by his return to the crime scene, but did not show remorse.This weekend, it was also revealed that three teens had tried to stop Breivik's shooting spree by throwing stones at him. Breivik shot and killed one of the boys, but the other two escaped.

Breivik Faces 21 Years in Prison

Breivik, 32, faces 21 years in prison with the possibility of permanent detention for the shooting at the Labor Party summer camp and the bombing of the Prime Minister's office in Oslo. He has admitted both acts.

In a 1,500-page manifesto apparently published by Breivik hours before the attack, Breivik claims to be just one warrior in a widespread crusade against Muslim immigration and integration in Norwegian and European society that will take 60 years to complete. The meticulous manifesto detailed Breivik's years-long preparations for the attack and presents an academic-style argument against what he called multicultural Marxism and Islamic colonization. In it, he says being arrested is all part of the plan. "Your arrest will mark the initiation of the propaganda phase," Breivik writes. "Your trial offers you a stage to the world."

Breivik also mentions a plan to escape prison and execute a "bonus operation."

Oslo, Norway (CNN) -- Police are preparing to interview Anders Behring Breivik, the suspect in last week's terror attacks, for a second time Friday, Oslo police chief Johan Fredriksen said Thursday.

Breivik, who is being kept in solitary confinement at Ila Prison, near Oslo, was last interviewed Saturday, a day after a bomb blast outside government buildings in the Norwegian capital and a mass shooting on the island of Utoya claimed at least 76 lives.http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/07/28/norway.attacks/

On the afternoon of July 22, a powerful explosion ripped through the streets of Oslo, Norway, as a large improvised explosive device (IED) in a rented van detonated between the government building housing the prime minister’s office and Norway’s Oil and Energy Department building. According to the diary of Anders Breivik, the man arrested in the case who has confessed to fabricating and placing the device, the van had been filled with 950 kilograms (about 2,100 pounds) of homemade ammonium nitrate-based explosives.

After lighting the fuse on his IED, Breivik left the scene in a rented car and traveled to the island of Utoya, located about 32 kilometers (20 miles) outside of Oslo. The island was the site of a youth campout organized by Norway’s ruling Labor Party. Before taking a boat to the island, Breivik donned body armor and tactical gear bearing police insignia (intended to afford him the element of tactical surprise). Once on the island he opened fire on the attendees at the youth camp with his firearms, a semiautomatic 5.56-caliber Ruger Mini-14 rifle and a 9 mm Glock pistol. Due to the location of the camp on a remote island, Breivik had time to kill 68 people and wound another 60 before police responded to the scene. Read more »

As Norway names dead, religious leaders and counselors offer comfort to a nation

The Oslo Cathedral, a hub for memorials to terror-attack victims, is offering nightly services to give Norwegians a place to grieve over last week's violence.

OSLO, Norway (AP) — A TV cameraman who captured the only known images of the gunman during his shooting rampage at a political youth camp in Norway says he had no idea at the time that the killer was in his viewfinder.

Marius Arnesen, a cameraman for Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, was in a helicopter hovering more than 600 feet (200 meters) over Utoya island, where panicked youth were being massacred as they fled into the water on Friday.

At the time, Arnesen says, he didn't realize the scale of the disaster, in which at least 68 people were mortally wounded.

"We were circling the island taking shots of the island," he told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "It looked empty, so at first I thought police had evacuated the island. Then we saw people swimming and floating in the water. And then we started slowly realizing what was going on."

He zoomed in on a part of the island where people had jumped into the water.

"It's really hard to hold a camera still and get the framing right. So I just zoomed in and tried to hold it still for 3 seconds," Arnesen said.

His images show a man in dark clothing surrounded by bodies piled up on the shore and in the water. NRK released them to other media after blurring out the victims so they could not be identified.

As the helicopter left to refuel, Arnesen still wasn't quite sure what was on his tape, he said.

It wasn't until the next morning, when NRK editors were going through his images frame by frame, that they realized they had video of Anders Behring Breivik, the 32-year-old Norwegian who has confessed to the shooting and a bombing hours earlier in Oslo's government district.

The fact that the NRK helicopter arrived before the police SWAT team that arrested Breivik has sparked criticism over the police response. Relatives of people on the island have also questioned whether the NRK helicopter put people in graver danger.

Marianne Bremnes, whose 16-year-old daughter Julie was cowering on the island during the shooting, says her daughter came out of her hiding place "and waved her pink rain jacket" because she thought the helicopter was there to rescue her.

"If she had been at the wrong spot she would have been killed, since the police had not arrived yet and the gunman was not arrested," Bremnes said by telephone from Harstad in northern Norway on Wednesday. She said her daughter survived the massacre but lost five of her friends.

Associated Press

Security chief: Norway attacks work of lone man

By KARL RITTER and IAN MacDOUGALL , 07.28.11, 11:11 AM EDT

OSLO, Norway -- The Norwegian man who killed 76 people in a bombing and youth camp massacre is a sociopath who acted without accomplices or a network of like-minded right-wing extremists, and kept his plans to himself for more than a decade, a top security official said Thursday.

"It's a unique case. It's unique person. He is total evil," Janne Kristiansen, the director of the Norwegian Police Security Service told The Associated Press.

But investigators have found no signs - before or after the attacks - of a larger conspiracy, though it's too early to rule it out completely, Kristiansen said.Anders Behring Breivik claims he carried out the July 22 attacks as part of a network of modern-day crusaders plotting a revolution against a multicultural Europe, and that there are other cells ready to strike.

"On the information we have so far, and I emphasize so far, we have no indication that he was part of a network or had any accomplices, or that there are other cells," Kristiansen told AP.

She said Breivik doesn't appear to have shared his plot with anyone, and lived an outwardly lawful and moderate life before carrying out the attacks with "total precision."

Links have emerged between the Oslo killer, a British man calling himself “Lionheart,” and an Ulster terrorist, it can be disclosed.

Paul Ray, 35, who blogs under the name Lionheart, said he was shocked and horrified by the atrocity but admitted that Anders Behring Breivik may have drawn “inspiration” from his writings.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that one of Mr Ray’s associates is Nick Greger, a German who describes himself as a “former neo-Nazi,” and has been a supporter of Charles Taylor, the former dictator tried for war crimes over his time in Liberia, and a friend of Johnny “Mad Dog” Adair, leader of the Ulster Freedom Fighters.

Greger, “known as Nazi Nick,” maintains a YouTube channel, where he describes himself as a “former neo-Nazi-leader, convicted terrorist, militiaman, artist, book writer and preacher”.

Breivik wrote of traveling to the Ivory Coast and Liberia in 2002 telling his friend he was planning to “research the potential to smuggle blood diamonds and selling them in London.”

In London soon afterwards, he said he had attended the founding meeting of the “Knights Templar Europe” explaining that he “joined the session after visiting one of the initial facilitators, a Serbian Crusader Commander and war hero, in Monrovia, Liberia.”

***********end update****************UPDATE: 07-26-2011The young assassin: Angelic face of boy who grew up to commit one of the worst single-handed massacres in historyBy DAILY MAIL REPORTERLast updated at 5:15 PM on 26th July 2011

This is the angelic face of Anders Behring Breivik who went on to commit one of the worst single-handed massacres in history.

Wearing white church choir robes, a young Breivik turns to face the camera during a service.

In other images he is pictured standing with classmates in a school photograph and partying with blonde girls during a ski trip in Hemsedal, Norway, in 2005.

Innocence: Anders Breivik is pictured in white choral robes during a church service. He went on to kill at least 76 people in a bomb blast and mass shooting on the Norwegian island of Utoya.

Along with two friends, Breivik shared drinks with five Swedish girls during the skiing holiday.

One of the girls told the Daily Mirror: 'We met the Norwegian boys at a party where we talked and drank beer.

'The Norwegians were boasting about parties in Oslo, and how it was better than in Stockholm. We had great fun.

'At the end of the night they tried it on, but we were not interested like that.'

Questions are being asked as to what drove an apparently contented student who lead a normal life to commit mass murder.

His early life was undoubtedly scarred by the break-up of his parents' marriage when he was aged just one.Then, at the age of 15, he lost contact with his father, who was apparently unimpressed by his 'graffiti phase' - when he was caught spraying messages on walls.

In his 1,500-page 'manifesto', published online as he launched his attacks on Friday, he said that as a teenager his best friend was a Pakistani immigrant who loathed Norway.

He says he hung out with Pakistani gangs but claimed to have been beaten up by them eight times, once suffering a broken nose.

At 16, he says, he broke with his friend and decided to concentrate on school. Later, he clearly felt immigration was ruining his country.

Breivik also makes extraordinary claims about alleged promiscuity by his mother Wenche, a nurse, and other members of his family, together with details of sexually transmitted diseases he claims they contracted.Experts say Breivik's motivation for committing mass murder is far more complex – and disturbing – than merely a reaction to personal events in his life.

Narcissistic, paranoid and obsessive, he was in all likelihood seeking fame to cover up the existence he appears to have led during the nine years he worked on his manifesto.

Yesterday David Wilson, professor of criminology at Birmingham City University, said: 'When he killed those kids he imagined he was involved in some kind of righteous slaughter, that he was being channelled by some greater purpose to do what he did.

Unfortunately, due to some uneducated members of the media, blindly only reporting half a story, we have been forced to make another statement on the Norwegian terrorist Anders Brievik and further give attention to him, rather than the 94 innocent victims, their families and the people of Norway who deserve the attention as they recover from this tragedy.

It would seem shameful that journalists have been all too quick to link the English Defence League to this murderous creature, quoting from his blog that ‘on some occasions [he] had discussions with SIOE and EDL and recommended them to use certain strategies (via facebook)’. We can categorically state that there has never been any official contact between him and the EDL, our facebook page had 100,000 supporters and receives tens of thousands of comments each day. And there is no evidence that Brievik was ever one of those 100,000 supporters. Even so, anyone who expresses any extremist beliefs of any kind, be it white supremacist, christian fundamentalist or Islamic extremists, they all get banned from the site.

We have a long and successful history of ridding this peaceful and patriotic organisation of anyone who doesn’t agree with our mission statement, or shows extremist beliefs. This includes successful stewarding of our demos, ensuring that any racists are removed from the areas, strict moderating on our forums and constant monitoring of our facebook pages and affiliated groups. It has been reported that Norway has some problems far-right groups and neo-Nazi organisations, in February, our friends at the Norwegian Defence League had many new supporters after our peaceful Luton demonstration. Unfortunately, due to irresponsible and libellous journalism, some of these new supporters believed the NDL to be a group to express their far-right and neo-Nazi beliefs. It wasn’t and the NDL did a fine job of quickly acting and banishing such unwanted fascists and putting the record straight that fascists are not welcome in the Defence Leagues, only patriots worried about the rise of extremism that causes unnecessary death and pain to innocent people. It is not known whether Brievik was one of those to be banished, but the fact that one of his aims was to set up a Norwegian version of the EDL, when there already was one, goes some way to showing that he hasn’t got a clue about the EDL movement.

If these pathetic and sensationalist journalists had bothered to give the due respect to Norway, its readers and the truth, they would have read the entire writings of Brievik and reported the whole story. They would see that Brievik talks about the EDL in a negative light because of our anti-extremist stance. They would have reported the facts, they would have reported our history of being anti-fascist, anti-violent and anti-extremist. They would have reported that Brievik also states on page 1438 of his document, ‘The EDL are in fact anti-racist, anti-fascist and anti-Nazi. They have many members and leaders with non-European background (African and Asian)…EDL and KT (Brievik) principles can never be reconciled as we are miles apart ideologically…The EDL harshly condemns any movement that use terror as a tool, such as the KT. This is why, we, the KT, view the EDL as naïve fools.’...read more here http://englishdefenceleague.org/official-statement-anders-brievik/

Anders Breivik made internet contact with the EDL in 2009Tuesday 26 July 2011Anders Breivik made internet contact with the EDL just months before carrying out his killing spree. In other online postings, he claims to have had discussions with members as long ago as 2009.

Channel 4 News has also learned that:

• Breivik posted anti-Muslim messages on the German Defence League's website in February

• Breivik claimed Norwegian police had taken down his NDL website in the same month and placed him and others on a "danger list"

• Large sections of his manifesto were made up of comments posted on a politics website two years ago

• One of the chilling comments on the politics website reads: 'It is children... who end up as victims'

The news that Breivik was in contact with the EDL earlier this year comes as the group's leader retracted a denial that the group had ever had contact with the man behind the killing of at least 76 people in a bomb blast and a series of shootings in Norway on Friday.

Stephen Lennon said: "It could turn out that one of our members met with him but at this point we're not turning anything up."

Anti-fascist organisation Searchlight has trawled through the English Defence League's online forums and claims that Breivik used the pseudonym "Sigurd Jorsalfare", a 12th century King of Norway who led one of the Crusades, when he exchanged messages of support with members in March.

Breivik's introductory message reads: "Hello to you all good English men and women, just wanted to say that you're a blessing to all in Europe, in these dark times all of Europe are looking to you in surch (sic) of inspiration, courage and even hope that we might turn this evil trend with islamisation all across our continent. Well, just wanted to say keep up the good work it's good to see others that care about their country and heritage."

The lawyer representing Anders Behring Breivik has claimed Tuesday that his client is most likely insane. The report seemingly indicates that Breivik, who has admitted to Friday’s Oslo bombing and Utoya Island’s shootings, is preparing to put forward the insanity plea as his defense, although his lawyer has said it is too early to confirm that.

The death toll from Friday’s massacres in Norway was reduced Monday to 76 dead and dozens injured, as Breivik was charged under terrorism offenses.Further offenses may be added to the charges against Breivik, as police declared a charge of “Crimes Against Humanity” are being considered. If convicted on that charge a possible 30-year prison sentence could be imposed.

Meanwhile, Geir Lippestad, the lawyer representing Breivik has told media representatives: “This whole case indicated that he is insane.”Breivik has told his lawyer that he is in a war, and that in time people would come to understand his actions and he would be vindicated.

WOULD YOU BE PREPARED IN THE CASE OF AN ATTACK WHERE YOU LIVE? WHAT ABOUT OTHER EMERGENCIES? DO YOU HAVE WATER STORAGE? DO YOU HAVE ROTATING FOOD STORAGE? DO YOU HAVE 72 HOUR KITS FOR MEMBERS OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD? PREPARE BEFORE AN EMERGENCY COMES BECAUSE IF YOU WAIT UNTIL THE EMERGENCY, IT IS TOO LATE
WATER STORAGE TIP:
How Much Water do I Need?
You should have at least a three-day supply of water and you should store at least one gallon of water per person per day. A normally active person needs at least one-half gallon of water daily just for drinking.
Additionally, in determining adequate quantities, take the following into account:

Note to conservatives: AndersBreivik is a Christian

This, apparently, is the right-wing talking point du jour on the terror attacks of July 22: Anders Breivik, the perpetrator, was not a Christian.

Here's a portion of an email I got last night that baffled me:

Just to be clear, the killer was, in fact, not a Christian and said so explicitly several times in his writings... So, in fact, "in fact" was the wrong term to use...

I thought, foolish me, that Breivik had repeatedly and forcefully argued that he was waging a war on behalf of European Christendom. I guess while I wasn't paying attention, everyone decided to make up a new reality.

Also Breivik is not attached to any church, and in fact has criticized the Protestant belief system in general. The Christian angle came from a Norwegian policeman not from any fact finding. Once again, we can find no evidence, none, that this killer practiced Christianity in any way.

MORE PREPAREDNESS TIPS...
How Should I Store Water?
To prepare safest and most reliable emergency supply of water, it is recommended you purchase commercially bottled water. Keep bottled water in its original container and do not open it until you need to use it.
Observe the expiration or “use by” date.
If You are Preparing Your Own Containers of Water
It is recommended you purchase food-grade water storage containers from surplus or camping supplies stores to use for water storage. Before filling with water, thoroughly clean the containers with dishwashing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap. Follow directions below on filling the container with water.
If you choose to use your own storage containers, choose two-liter plastic soft drink bottles – not plastic jugs or cardboard containers that have had milk or fruit juice in them. Milk protein and fruit sugars cannot be adequately removed from these containers and provide an environment for bacterial growth when water is stored in them. Cardboard containers also leak easily and are not designed for long-term storage of liquids. Also, do not use glass containers, because they can break and are heavy.If storing water in plastic soda bottles, follow these stepsThoroughly clean the bottles with dishwashing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap.Sanitize the bottles by adding a solution of 1 teaspoon of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to a quart of water. Swish the sanitizing solution in the bottle so that it touches all surfaces. After sanitizing the bottle, thoroughly rinse out the sanitizing solution with clean water.

Norway killings: Breivik's countdown to mass murderExtracts from Anders Behring Breivik's 1,500-page "compendium" in which he writes about the days before the murders.

Monday May 2 - Day 1: I drove up to the farm (2-2,5 hours from the capital) with my newly leased Fiat Doblo with all the equipment and gear/clothing I needed. I spent most of the day moving and getting my equipment and gear into place.

Sunday May 8 - Day 7: Failure is not an option for me. I continued my search on methods for the purification of [bomb ingredients] online. After many hours of searching the net, using various search phrases, I managed to locate a single YouTube clip, with very few hits, which explained in detail an unconventional method.

Saturday May 14 - Day 13: It's the Eurovision finale today. I just love Eurovision...!:-) It's a lot of crap music but I think it's a great show all in all. I've seen all the semi finals and will take the time of to watch it later today, online. My country has a crap, politically correct contribution as always....I hope Germany wins!

Thursday June 2 - Day 32: I decided to begin crushing the fertilizer using four Electrolux blenders simultaneously.

Thursday June 9 - Day 39: I heard someone parking their car outside the house today. It was one of the neighbours wanting to buy the current crop as animal food...As we strolled down to the field I was somewhat concerned that he would notice the fume hood fan pipe sticking out of the living room window...

Friday June 10 - Day 40: To my great disappointment, nothing happened when I did the fire test...! What the hell, how is that possible, it was completely dry and that particular batch was manufactured perfectly according to specifications!? I did everything according to specifications... Could the compound I have manufactured be inert????...I started to

have serious doubts and my morale and motivation started to shatter...

Saturday June 11 - Day 41: I prayed for the first time in a very long time today. I explained to God that unless he wanted the Marxist-Islamic alliance and the certain Islamic takeover of Europe to completely annihilate European Christendom within the next hundred years he must ensure that the warriors fighting for the preservation of European Christendom prevail.

Monday June 13 - Day 43: I lit the fuse, went out of range and waited. It was probably the longest 10 seconds I have ever endured...BOOM! The detonation was successful!!!:-)

Saturday June 18 - Day 48: I woke up at 11.00 and checked my phone. There was an SMS sent 09.30 from Tonje, the owners girlfriend. She said she was ON HER WAY UP to pick up some equipment from the barn!!!... It seems I will be left no choice than to use my glock and initiate the evacuation plan! I called her up. Luckily she hadn't left yet. Thank God!

Wednesday June 22 - Day 52: drove to the local town and bought three portions of Chinese takeaway. Beef with noodles and fried rice, yummy!. I took an early night as I didn't have any PC.

Thursday June 30 - Day 60: This house is infested with beetles. Just now I was about to reach for a chocolate in my goodie bag and a beetle had crawled in... Parts of this house is from 1750 so it's probably several bug colonies in the walls.

I haven't slept at all since yesterday, trying to complete the last purification.

Saturday July 2 - Day 62: Going over the travel route for both plan A and B for the upcoming vent, familiarizing myself with the driving routes and plotting in destinations in my Garmin GPS....I took my mom out to dinner this evening

Sunday July 3 - Day 63: Raining again... I planned to extract the armour cache today ...I think I'll take a day off prior to the upcoming phase shift and just download some new trance tunes.

Noticing that the testo [steroid] withdrawal is contributing to increased aggressiveness. As I'm now continuing with 50mg it will most likely pass. I wish it would be possible to somehow manipulate this effect to my advantage later on when it is needed. Because the state seems to very efficiently suppress fear.

Tuesday July 5 - Day 65: Replaced most of the .223 HP (hollow point) rounds with SP [soft point] rounds...more suitable for the purpose of inflicting maximum damage to vermin.

Monday July 18 - Day 78: That night, after dark, I loaded in everything in the van...Exhausted!!! Good workout though. Im drinking 4 x protein shakes per day now to maximize muscle generation. At this point in time I should be fearful, but I'm just too exhausted to think much about it.

Tuesday July 19 - Day 79:

Went to a higher quality restaurant in the southern town and feasted. Yummy! Ive been working extremely hard the last few days and I'm completely exhausted. I have been using ECA stack [steroids] to help keep this pace. Looks like I will have to take one more today...

Friday July 22 - Day 82:

First coming costume party this autumn, dress up as a police officer. Arrive with insignias:-) Will be awesome as people will be very astonished:-)

Side note; imagine if law enforcement would visit me the next days. They would probably get the wrong idea and think I was a terrorist, lol [laughs out loud]

The old saying; "if you want something done, then do it yourself" is as relevant now as it was then.

MORE WATER STORAGE PREPAREDNESS TIPS:
Filling Water Containers
Fill the bottle to the top with regular tap water. If the tap water has been commercially treated from a water utility with chlorine, you do not need to add anything else to the water to keep it clean. If the water you are using comes from a well or water source that is not treated with chlorine, add two drops of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to the water.Tightly close the container using the original cap. Be careful not to contaminate the cap by touching the inside of it with your finger. Place a date on the outside of the container so that you know when you filled it. Store in a cool, dark place.Replace the water every six months if not using commercially bottled water.

Conflicting Portrait of Norway Killer EmergesPublished July 26, 2011| FoxNews.comOSLO, Norway – The man who confessed to the massacre that has rocked Norway is likely insane, his attorney told The Associated Press on Tuesday as the self-confessed mass murderer's former stepmother said he was an "ordinary Norwegian" who showed no signs of his deadly plans.

Defense counsel Geir Lippestad said Anders Behring Breivik is unaware of the impact of the attacks and has asked how many people he had killed. Breivik has confessed to last week's bombing in the capital and a rampage at a Labor Party retreat for young people that left at least 76 people dead, but he has pleaded not guilty to the terrorism charges he faces, claiming he acted to save Europe from what he says is Muslim colonization.

Breivik took drugs to "be strong, to be efficient, to keep him awake" during the 90-minute attack at the camp, Lippstad said in an exclusive interview, adding that he did not answer Breivik's question about the death toll. The brutal assault has stunned peaceful, liberal Norway -- but also appears to have brought its citizens together.

About 150,000 people filled the streets of Oslo on Monday, laying roses feet deep in the street as they mourned the dead and vowed that Norway's commitment to democracy could not be shaken. Police said the names of some of the dead would be released Tuesday at noon EDT.

Lippestad said his client, who claims he is part of an organization with several cells in Western countries, is likely insane.

"He asked me if was if I was shocked and if I could explain to him what happened," Lippestad said. "He didn't know if he had succeeded with his plan."

But according to Breivik's former stepmother, the self-confessed mass murder was an apparently normal youth who showed no signs of what he was planning even in the months right before the massacre.

Tove Oevermo told The Associated Press that she kept in touch with Breivik even after she and his father divorced when he was a teenager.

"He was just an ordinary Norwegian, a well-behaved boy. You can't put all of this together really. I saw no sign of him being a person like he must have been," Oevermo said. "It's really such a shock."

Oevermo married Breivik's father, Jens, when he was four. Breivik would often visit her and his father in France.

"He felt like a happy, normal child," the retired career diplomat told The Associated Press Tuesday. "We had a very good connection, and we liked being together, even when he was a small child. I got the impression she really liked me," she said.

Oevermo and Breivik's father divorced 10 years later, around the time Breivik claims, in his 1,500-page manifesto, that he became estranged from his father. Oevermo, 66, recalled the split, but declined to comment on what precipitated it. She did say, however, that she got the feeling Breivik wanted to have a relationship with his father, though he never spoke of their relationship.

After her divorce, Breivik kept in touch with Oevermo via an occasional e-mail, but she didn't see him very often, she said.

She said she saw him last in March or April of this year when he visited her at her home south of Oslo. He was living with his mother in Oslo at the time, Oevermo said, and stopped by, as he sometimes did, to pay her a friendly house call.

She said Breivik didn't seem agitated during the visit and behaved normally.

He left saying "'see you again soon' or something like that, something very normal," she said.

In recent years, Breivik would often speak of a book he was writing, Oevermo said. He was proud of the book, but was evasive about its contents, Oevermo said.

"He just told me he was trying to publish a book. He didn't say what about. He said, 'You'll see when it's finished,"' she said. "He didn't really want to get into it, but he was proud of it."

In recent years, he was working on the book full-time and not working. Before that she said he worked "odd jobs" and tried to establish various companies.

Breivik released a 1,500-page manifesto shortly before carrying out the deadly attacks Friday in Oslo and an island outside the Norwegian capital. In the sprawling document, he details his hatred for the "cultural Marxists" who have allowed Muslims to immigrate to Europe. He claims his attack is part of a coordinated effort by a group calling itself the Knights Templar to rid Europe of Muslims and left-wing politics. Police officials say they're not sure whether such a group exists.

Breivik spoke about politics "like every normal person does, not more than that. He never touch Islam and this hatred for it he must have had for it," Oevermo said.

As for the attack itself, Oevermo said she was horrified to learn the "quite informed and well spoken" man she had known.

"People say, 'I'm shocked.' They don't know what shock is all about, physically and psychologically. It was so unreal. I couldn't believe it. I refused to believe it," she said. "If I'd had some kind of suspicion -- some kind of idea that something was not right with him, it would have been easier, I think."

Norway attack victim saved own son before dying

One of Anders Behring Breivik's first gun victims, Trond Berntsen, who shielded 10-year-old, is among names emerging

Norway attack victim Trond Berntsen, saved his own 10-year-old son on Utøya. Berntsen was the stepbrother of Mette-Marit, crown princess of Norway. Photograph: Allover Norway / Rex Features

Trond Berntsen was working as an off-duty police officer on Utøya when Anders Behring Breivik arrived at the shore. Unarmed and unaware of the horror that was about to be unleashed on the island, Berntsen succeeded in protecting his 10-year-old son but could do nothing to save himself. The father-of-two became one of Breivik's first victims when he was shot dead within minutes.

In a sign that the killing spree has left no sector of Norwegian society untouched, the royal court has announced that the 51-year-old was the stepbrother of Mette-Marit, Norway's crown princess.

Polish firm sold fertilizer to Norway bomber

(Reuters) - A Polish company sold chemical fertilizer to Norwegian bomber and gunman Anders Behring Breivik but the transaction was entirely legal and police have made no arrests, the Polish internal security agency said Monday.

Breivik killed more than 90 people in last Friday's bomb attack and shooting rampage that stunned Norway.

"According to our experts, the materials bought in Poland were not critical for the construction of the bomb," the deputy head of the ABW agency, Pawel Bialek, told a news conference.

"At this stage, the information and materials we have do not indicate that the relations with the terrorist were anything other than commercial."

Bialek said the owner of the company, which he did not name, was cooperating fully with the authorities in their investigation. He added that the firm had sold over 100 kg of one substance and several hundred grams of another.

The transaction was made over the Internet and there is no evidence that Breivik ever visited Poland, Bialek said.

Breivik also tried unsuccessfully to buy weapons in the Czech Republic, Bialek added.

In a rambling, 1,500-page online manifesto, Breivik, who has confessed to the killings, portrays himself as a crusader defending Europe against a tide of Islam.

Norway’s gentle justice

The massacre allegedly wrought in Norway by Anders Behring Breivik claimed at least 93 lives in a nation of 4.8 million. That’s the equivalent of 5,950 victims in the United States, nearly double the death toll on September 11, 2001. Norway, accompanied by the world, grieves the victims of this monstrous crime. But can it deliver justice?

As in other European countries, the death penalty does not exist in Norway. Nor does Norway provide for life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The maximum prison time under Norwegian law is 21 years, with the possibility of parole. (There is no provision for consecutive sentences.)

A Norwegian court can, however, order additional detention in five-year increments beyond the 21-year limit, if persuaded that the offender poses a continuing threat to the community.

Such extensions are apparently rare in Norway -- though if anyone seems likely to remain confined indefinitely, it would be Breivik. Nevertheless, the state will bear the burden of periodically arguing for his continued incarceration.

Prison conditions, even for violent offenders, are remarkably comfortable, even gentle. By law, Norway’s murderers start out in high-security prison, but we’re not talking about a U.S.-style “SuperMax”: all inmates retain their right to vote, and at least some high-security prisoners have kitchens and enjoy Internet access. After a time, they must be “assessed with a view to transferring them to a lower level of security.”

The Norwegian Correctional Service’s Website makes no mention of punishment, but does refer to “services” to which inmates are “entitled.”

Norway is perhaps an extreme illustration of a more general European attitude that emphasizes the “human dignity” of the accused – remember French protests against the “perp walk” for Dominique Strauss-Kahn? – and assumes that society shares a bit of responsibility for even the most heinous deeds of individuals.

As one Norwegian warden put it: "The biggest mistake that our societies have made is to believe that you must punish hard to change criminals. This is wrong. The big closed prisons are criminal schools. If you treat people badly, they will behave badly. Anyone can be a citizen if we treat them well, respect them, and give them challenges and demands."

He certainly has a point: in the U.S., some maximum-security prisons are overcrowded breeding grounds for recidivism. In that sense, we could learn a thing or two from Norway.

U.S. authorities do not always assume that the goal of punishment is “to change criminals.” Here, it’s taken for granted that some perpetrators – especially mass murderers -- cannot be rehabilitated, that they forfeit any right to consideration from society, and that they must be isolated, or, in a small minority of cases, destroyed, lest they strike again.

Anders Behring Breivik had hoped his first court hearing would be televised, but a judge in Oslo rules that it be held behind closed doors. Officials revise the death toll in Friday's bombing and shootings downward, to 76 from 93.

By Josiane Kremer, Marianne Stigset and Stephen Treloar(Updates death toll starting in first paragraph, adds guns Breivik said he possessed in ninth.)

July 25 (Bloomberg) -- Anders Behring Breivik, in custody for killing 76 people in a Norwegian shooting rampage and bombing, must spend four weeks in pre-trial detention with no contact with the outside world.

Judge Kim Heger said after a 30-minute closed court hearing that Breivik, 32, can receive no visits, nor send or receive letters for the entire eight-week period he will be detained. Breivik told the hearing that he planted the July 22 bomb in Oslo and killed people at a youth camp on Utoeya island as he sought to inflict the “greatest possible loss” to the ruling Labor party that ran the camp, Heger said.

The court and prosecutors are concerned Breivik may hinder the investigation by contacting possible accomplices. He told the hearing there were “two more cells in our organization.” If convicted on the two counts of Acts of Terror he has been charged with, he could receive a maximum sentence of 21 years in prison, Norway’s toughest punishment.

Given the “seriousness, the extent and character of this case, the court considers the arguments for isolation are immense,” Heger said after the hearing.

“Nothing like this has ever happened in Norway, it’s an extraordinary case,” Geir Engebretsen, President of the Oslo District Court, told reporters before the hearing.

Revised Fatalities

Armed with a pistol and semi-automatic rifle, Breivik killed 68 people at a youth camp held by the Labor party on Utoeya island, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Oslo. He killed eight more in a car bomb blast earlier that day in the government district of the capital. Police today revised down an earlier estimate of a total of 93 casualties.

“He said he believed his actions were atrocious, but in his head they were necessary,” Breivik’s defense lawyer Geir Lippestad told Norway’s TV2 on July 23.

In his manifesto, the suspect said that he made an application for a Glock 17 and that he acquired a semi-automatic Ruger Mini 14. He said that he also owned a Benelli Nova Pump- Action and a 308 win bolt rifle.

The police have declined to say what make of gun he used for the attacks or how he acquired the weapons.

Prosecutor: Norway Suspect Doesn't Expect Release

OSLO, Norway – The self-described perpetrator of one of the worst modern mass murders in peacetime calmly said in court Monday that that he expects to spend the rest of his life in prison for bombing Norway's capital and opening fire on a political youth group retreat, officials said.

Anders Behring Breivik told the court as he entered a not guilty plea that he wanted to save Europe from Muslim immigration and warned that two other cells of his terror network remain.

Prosecutor Christian Hatlo told reporters Monday that Breivik was very calm and "seemed unaffected by what has happened." He said Breivik told investigators during his interrogation that he never expected to be released.

Police announced, meanwhile, that they had dramatically overcounted the number of people slain in a shooting spree at a political youth group's island retreat and were lowering the confirmed death toll from 86 to 68.

The overall toll in the attack now stands at 76 instead of 93. Police spokesman Oystein Maeland said that higher, erroneous figure emerged as police and rescuers were focusing on helping survivors and securing the area, but he did not immediately explain more about how the overcounting occurred.

Police also raised the toll from a bombing outside the government's headquarters in Oslo before the shooting spree, from seven to eight.

Breivik has confessed to bombing Oslo's government headquarters and opening fire on the young people at an island retreat.

The court ordered him Breivik held for eight weeks while prosecutors investigate, four of which will be in isolation, saying Breivik could tamper with evidence if released. Typically, the accused is brought to court every four weeks while prosecutors prepare their case, so a judge can approve his continued detention. Longer periods are not unusual in serious cases.

Breivik made clear in an Internet manifesto that he planned to turn his court appearance into theater, preparing a speech for his appearance in court even before launching the attacks, then requesting an open hearing in which he would wear a uniform. Both of those requests were denied.

OSLO, Norway – Police have lowered the death toll in Norway's island shooting spree to 68, saying the overwhelming task of responding to the tragedy created confusion.

Police had earlier said 86 people died when a gunman opened fire on retreat for young people on an island near Oslo. The rampage followed a bombing in Oslo outside the government's headquarters.

Police raised the toll in that attack to eight on Monday.

Police spokesman Oystein Maeland said that higher, erroneous figure emerged as police and rescuers were focusing on helping survivors and securing the area.

That brings the new toll to 76 people; it is still one of the worst modern mass murders in peacetime.

Anders Behring Breivik has confessed to both assaults but denied crminial responsibility for them and pleaded not guilty at his first hearing. He told the court he wanted to save Europe from Muslim immigration and warned that there are two other cells of his terror network.

The court ordered him held for eight weeks while prosecutors investigate, four of which will be in isolation, saying Breivik could tamper with evidence if released. Typically, the accused is brought to court every four weeks while prosecutors prepare their case, so a judge can approve his continued detention. Longer periods are not unusual in serious cases.

Breivik made clear in an Internet manifesto that he planned to turn his court appearance into theater, preparing a speech for his appearance in court even before launching the attacks, then requesting an open hearing in which he would wear a uniform. Both of those requests were denied.

The suspect has said staged the bombing and youth camp rampage as "marketing" for his manifesto calling for a revolution that would rid Europe of Muslims.

"The operation was not to kill as many people as possible but to give a strong signal that could not be misunderstood that as long as the Labor Party keeps driving its ideological lie and keeps deconstructing Norwegian culture and mass importing Muslims then they must assume responsibility for this treason," according to the English translation of Heger's ruling that was read out after the hearing.

Breivik alluded to two other "cells" of his network -- which he imagines as a new Knights Templar, the medieval cabal of crusaders who protected Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land. At one point, his manifesto briefly referred to an intention to contact two other cells, but no details were given.

European security officials said they were aware of increased Internet chatter from individuals claiming they belonged to the Knights Templar group and were investigating claims that Breivik, and other far-right individuals, attended a London meeting of the group in 2002.

What would you do? Would you be prepared if an attack happened on your turf? Would you be prepared to help if there were such an emergency? Have you been trained in CERT or another form of emergency preparedness? Is your own family prepared for a plan in case of emergency. The time to prepare for possible emergencies is now. Although terrorist attacks are not something you can actually prepare for, be prepared for other emergencies will help you to prepare to deal with the most unexpected better. Again, the time for preparedness is now. Do you have a 72 hour kit for each member of your household? Do you have a meeting place in the case your family is in different locations in an emergency? Do you have food storage, water storage? If you prepare now, there won't be as much panic later. Prepare now.********update end**********Officials examine political motive for Oslo attacks

July 23, 2011 12:00 p.m. EDT

Oslo, Norway (CNN) -- The death toll in the mass shooting and bomb attack in Norway rose to 92 Saturday, as leaders and the public alike tried to make sense of what the prime minister called the country's "worst atrocity" since World War II.

New details emerged surrounding Friday's attacks, as a fuller picture of the suspect charged in the crimes came to light. The man faces charges related to terrorism, which carry a maximum sentence of 21 years in prison if convicted. The charges may change, police said.

Norwegian television and newspaper reports have identified the suspect as 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik.

An employee at a Norwegian agricultural cooperative told CNN that the man identified in media reports as the suspect bought six tons of fertilizer from her company in May.

Oddmy Estenstad, of Felleskjopet Agr, said she did not think the order was strange at the time because the suspect has a farm, but after Friday's explosion in Norway's capital, Oslo, she called police because she knew the material can be used to make bombs.

"We are very shocked that this man was connected to our company," said Estenstad. "We are very sad about what happened."

Official sources and social media indicate that Breivik might be a right-wing Christian fundamentalist who may have had an issue with Norway's multi-cultural society. The attack may have been politically motivated, one official said.

"I think what we have seen today is that politically motivated violence poses a threat to society and I commend the police for carrying out a very swift and effective investigation, but that is still ongoing," Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store told reporters.

Police have not officially released the identity of the suspect, telling reporters only that they detained a 32-year-old Norwegian man who is being questioned in both the Oslo bombing -- which left seven dead and more than 90 wounded -- and the shooting attack at the youth camp on Utoya island, in which 85 people were killed.

The suspect was cooperating with police, making it clear he wanted to explain himself, Roger Andresen, a deputy police chief, told reporters during a news conference.

At least 17 people have died and more have been injured in an explosion in downtown Oslo and a shooting at a Labor Party youth camp outside the Norwegian capital. Norwegian police arrested the shooter at the camp and believe he is connected with the explosion, though others could be involved.

The significance of the events in Norway for the rest of Europe will depend largely on who is responsible, and the identity of the culprits is still unclear. However, STRATFOR can extrapolate the possible consequences of the attacks based on several scenarios.

The first scenario is that grassroots Islamist militants based in Norway are behind these seemingly connected attacks. Grassroots jihadist groups are already assumed to exist across Europe, and this assumption — along with previous attacks — has bolstered far-right political parties' popularity across the Continent. Many center-right politicians have also begun raising anti-immigrant policy issues in order to distract from the ongoing economic austerity measures brought about by the European economic crisis. If grassroots Islamist militants are found to be the culprits in Norway, it will simply reinforce the current European political trend that favors the far right. That said, some far-right parties, particularly in Northern Europe, could get a popularity boost sufficient to push them into the political mainstream, and possibly into government.

If an individual, grassroots or organized domestic group with far-right or neo-Nazi leanings perpetrated the attack, the significance for the rest of Europe will not be large. It could lead to a temporary loss of popularity for the far right, but long-term repercussions for the far right are unlikely since these parties have begun tempering their platforms in order to attract a wider constituency.

There is also the possibility that the attacks are the work of a skilled but disturbed individual with grievances against the Labor Party. This possibility would have few long-ranging repercussions beyond a reworking of domestic security procedures in Norway.

Another scenario is that the attack was carried out by an international group which may have entered the country some time ago. Regardless of the time frame, if the culprits crossed a border to get into Norway, other European countries will feel very vulnerable; Norway is Europe's northern terminus, and if international militants can get to Norway, they can get to anywhere in Europe. This vulnerability could severely damage the Schengen Agreement, once a symbolic pillar of Europe's unity, which has been under attack in the last several months. The agreement allows visa-free travel between the 25 countries in the Schengen Area (most of which are EU members, but the Schengen Area does include some non-EU members like Norway and Switzerland). The agreement came under pressure when Italy threatened to allow migrants fleeing the Libyan conflict and Tunisian political unrest to gain temporary resident status in order to cross into France. It was Rome's way of forcing the rest of Europe to help it with the influx of migrants. The solution proposed by France and Italy was to essentially establish temporary borders "under very exceptional circumstances." Later, Denmark reimposed border controls, supposedly due to an increase in cross-border crime.

The attack in Norway, if it involved cross-border movements, could therefore damage or even end the Schengen Agreement. Other European countries, particularly those where the far right is strong or where center-right parties have adopted an anti-immigrant message, could push for further amendments to the pact.

A transnational militant plot against a European country in the contemporary context could also be significant for European defense policy. When the 2004 Madrid attack and 2005 London attack happened, many in Europe argued that the attacks were a result of European governments' support for U.S. military operations in the Middle East. This is no longer really the case for Europe, although European forces are still in Afghanistan. It is much more difficult to blame Europe's alliance with the United States for this attack. As such, Europe could very well be motivated to take ongoing efforts to increase European defense coordination seriously. Current efforts are being led by Poland, which is doing so mainly because it wants to increase security against Russia's resurgence, not because of global militancy. The problem with Warsaw's plan is that it has little genuine support in Western Europe, other than France. An attack on Norway could, however, provide the kind of impetus necessary for Europe to feel threatened by global events.

The last scenario is that the attack is linked to Norway's involvement in the campaign in Libya. If the Libyan government is somehow connected to the bombing and/or shooting, the rest of Europe will rally behind Norway and increase their efforts in Libya. This scenario would essentially close off the opening in negotiations prompted by a recent move by Paris and other European governments saying they would be open to Moammar Gadhafi's remaining in Libya.

Cycling-Norwegian Riders Numbed By Oslo Killingsupdated 12:17 p.m. ET July 23, 2011GRENOBLE, France - World champion Thor Hushovd and fellow Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen struggled to concentrate on Saturday's penultimate stage of the Tour de France after at least 92 people died in gun and bomb attacks in their homeland.

"My mind is in Norway. It's hard to think about racing when in real life things like this happen in Norway. It's hard mentally," said Hushovd, who had worn the leader's yellow jersey for several stages of this year's race, after the 42.4-km individual time trial in Grenoble.

"I'm looking forward to the end of the Tour. It's scary, it's a lot of emotion and sadness. We didn't believe it could happen. It can happen anywhere and to anybody."

Most of those who died on Friday were young people gunned down on a tiny forested holiday island that was hosting the annual summer camp for the youth wing of Norway's ruling Labour party.

A 32-year-old Norwegian was arrested on the island and also charged with the bombing of Oslo's government district that killed seven people hours earlier. Team Sky rider Boasson Hagen, who like Hushovd won two stages in this year's Tour, was also in shock.

"It's hard to deal with it in the Tour de France. It feels so unreal to be here and to not know anything else but what's on the news," he said.

"I'm really sad. And I feel sorry for all the people involved in it. With Thor, we supported each other and the support from the team mates is good to have. I didn't think it could happen in Norway. It's unreal."

Police Chief Sveinung Sponheim said Saturday the male suspect — who is in custody — has been in a “dialogue” with police but that the interrogations are difficult.

At least 87 people were killed on the island on Friday.

Seven people died earlier Friday in a bombing in central Oslo that police also have linked to the suspect. They said Saturday it was caused by a car bomb.

“We don’t know yet” if he acted alone, he said. He said that 85 people were known to have died in the shooting and seven in a bomb blast in Oslo. Taking account of a few missing people, he said the toll could reach 98 in the worst case.

Earlier, police said that the death toll in the island shooting northwest of Oslo has now risen to 85 from 84.

“Eighty-five people are now confirmed dead from the island shooting,” said Oslo police spokeswoman Trine Dyngeland.

Emergency personnel have been scouring the water with boats and underwater cameras in a search for shooting victims who sought to flee from the gunman.

Asked about media reports that some witnesses believed there was a second shooter, Ms. Dyngeland said: “There are no concrete reports of a second gunman, although we’re not excluding any possibilities.”

A suspected far-right gunman in police uniform killed at least 87 people in a ferocious attack on a youth summer camp of Norway’s ruling Labour party, hours after a bomb killed seven in Oslo.

Witnesses said the gunman, identified by police as a 32-year-old Norwegian, moved across the small, wooded island of Utoeya in a lake northwest of Oslo on Friday, firing at young people who scattered in panic or tried to swim to safety.

Police detained the tall, blond suspect, named by local media as Anders Behring Breivik, and charged him for the killing spree and the bombing of government buildings in Oslo.

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, capturing the shock this normally quiet nation of 4.8 million is experiencing, said: “A paradise island has been transformed into a hell.”

Deputy Police Chief Roger Andresen would not speculate on the motives for what was believed to be the deadliest attack by a lone gunman anywhere in modern times.

Norwegian media say the Oslo bomb was made of fertiliser and that the suspect owned a company, Breivik Geofarm, which a supply firm said he had used to buy the material.

“These are goods that were delivered on May 4,” Oddny Estenstad, a spokeswoman at farm supply chain Felleskjoepet Agri, told Reuters. “It was 6 tonnes of fertiliser, which is a small, normal order for a standard agricultural producer.”

It was not clear if Mr. Breivik, a gun club member according to local media, had more than one weapon or whether he had stocked ammunition on Utoeya, where police found explosives.

Police combed the island and the lake, even using a mini-submarine to search the water, police inspector Bjoerne Erik Sem-Jacobsen told Reuters. “We don’t know how many people were on the island, therefore we have to search further.”

What would you do? Would you be prepared if an attack happened on your turf? Would you be prepared to help if there were such an emergency? Have you been trained in CERT or another form of emergency preparedness? Is your own family prepared for a plan in case of emergency. The time to prepare for possible emergencies is now. Although terrorist attacks are not something you can actually prepare for, be prepared for other emergencies will help you to prepare to deal with the most unexpected better. Again, the time for preparedness is now...